Broncos & NFL

Saunders: CBS's Phil Simms captures Broncos' moment

The Broncos' Eric Decker reaches for an onside kick during the fourth quarter Sunday but was not able to secure the ball, as the San Diego Chargers recovered. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

With 5:43 remaining in the tense Chargers-Broncos game, San Diego trailed 24-14, then recovered an onside kick.

CBS's Phil Simms noted, "This changes everything," one of the many logical statements he made during the broadcast.

Soon after, the Chargers went on to score a field goal, reducing the Broncos' lead to 24-17 with 3:53 remaining. And Broncos Nation collectively shuddered while recalling the disaster of a year ago when Denver blew a late lead and lost in double overtime to Baltimore in the divisional round.

In the final two minutes, lead announcer Jim Nantz noted that Peyton Manning's efficient third-down pass for a first down that essentially sealed the victory came against a battered San Diego secondary playing second-stringers.

The CBS duo will return to Denver next weekend for the Manning-Tom Brady tussle to cover the Broncos for the eighth time this season.

The trio, which began the season as the fourth Fox team, is now second to Troy Aikman, Joe Buck and Pam Oliver. The Lynch trio covered Seattle's divisional playoff win Saturday over New Orleans.

While it would be stretching the point to say Lynch was as awesome in the booth as the Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch was on the field, the former Broncos safety provided steady, concise analysis. Lynch and Burkhardt made their 2013 debut as a duo last summer during a locally produced Broncos preseason game aired on KUSA-Channel 9.

Andrews, of course, is no stranger to television, dividing her time between the worlds of sports and glamour. She is now a major personality on cable's Fox Sports 1 network.

His experience paid off as he noted early that the ground game replaced Brady as the heart of the Patriots' offense.

Dierdorf, in a recent interview, said last year's divisional playoff game in Denver when the Broncos lost in double overtime to the Ravens "was one of the two most memorable games in my career."

He added, "I hope my finale is as exciting."

Obviously, it wasn't.

• In last week's column about NFL broadcasters, I omitted an appraisal of the work of ESPN's Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden on "Monday Night Football."

Tirico is a knowledgeable, hardworking pro equally at home in a football broadcasting booth or at a courtside table during basketball competition. Gruden, for my taste, is "too positive" on a regular basis during his over-the-top coverage, often going overboard in praising NFL talent.

Example: Too often when a running back slices through the line for a long gain, Gruden often tells viewers about the magnificent run, while not noting the defense was out of position or missed numerous tackles.

• Who am I? Brent Musburger, noted for his awkward broadcasting moments, outdid himself during his opening of the BCS championship game, announcing: "Good evening and welcome everybody. I'm Kirk Herbstreit, along with Brent Musburger ..."

To his credit, Musburger turned in a better game performance than he did in 2013, when he gushed constantly about the relationship between Alabama quarterback AJ Mc- Carron and his glamorous model girlfriend, Katherine Webb, who received an overabundance of camera coverage while sitting in the stands.

Ratings roulette. Florida State's victory over Auburn in the BCS championship on ESPN produced 26.0 million viewers — the third-highest audience ratings ever for a cable production.

Predictably, the first- and second-most-watched programs were BCS finales — 27.3 million in 2011 when Auburn beat Oregon, and 26.3 million in 2013 when Alabama defeated Notre Dame.

Longtime Denver journalist Dusty Saunders writes about sports media each Monday in The Denver Post. Contact him at tvtime@comcast.net.

Drew Goodman sportscaster of year

Drew Goodman has been named Colorado's sportscaster of the year (2013) — the 10th time he has been honored by his peers in the state.

Goodman, veteran play-by-play man for the Rockies on Root Sports and co-host of a weekday sports talk show on 104.3 FM The Fan, will be honored along with other state winners and national broadcasters during a three-day program June 7-9 in Salisbury, N.C.

Noted hockey broadcaster Mike "Doc"Emrick will be honored as the national winner, and longtime broadcaster Marv Albert will be inducted into the organization's hall of fame.

The Boulder alt-country band gives its EPs names such as Death and Resurrection, and its songs bear the mark of hard truths and sin. But the punk energy behind the playing, and the sense that it's all in good fun, make it OK to dance to a song like "Death." Full Story